Chapter Nine

"Fucking hell. There's no access,"West says. His legs dangle over the side of the beam, then he jumps back down onto the chair next to me. His dark blue shirt is covered in dust, and there's a spiderweb in his hair.

Before I can zero in on anyone to threaten, the doors unlock and spring open. We're at Wren's room in ten seconds, but it's fucking empty.

A cup lies upended on a wheeled tray, a bit of pink liquid dripping onto the floor. West spins on his heel and races down the hall. "The elevator just stopped at the garage! I'm taking the stairs!"

He's gone in seconds. I pull the pistol from my ankle holster and sprint for the elevator on the other side of the nurse's station. We're twelve stories up, and while I'm fast, the SEAL is faster.

As soon as the doors slide shut, I dial Ripper. "They took Wren from the goddamn doctor's office. Get Zephyr on the security cameras. We think they're already in the garage."

"Fuck. I'm with Cara. We're headed to the co-working office Dax and Evianna rented for the week to pick them up. I'll call Z and get her started."

He hangs up before I can ask him why Graham isn't with him.

West rounds the corner as I burst into the garage. "They're not here. I checked every car. These were pros. The fire doors stopped us for—at most—seven minutes, and they had time to get Wren out of the room, down to the garage, and into a car. She wouldn't have gone willingly."

How the fuck is he so calm? I can't breathe knowing she's out there alone. Forty weeks pregnant. She must be terrified. I failed her for the second time, and this time…I failed my daughter too.

"Ry." West grabs my arm, his fingers digging into my bicep. "Look at me. Take a breath. In and out. Twice."

I don't have time for this bullshit. But he doesn't let go. "Do it. Or I'll have you flat on your back in five seconds."

"Wren's gone."

"I know. And we'll find her. But only if you focus and don't lose your shit. Go back to the condo. Get Rip and Zephyr on tracking every car that came out of this garage in the past fifteen minutes. I'm staying here. There's got to be someone in this hospital I can convince to let me into the security office to get their tapes."

"Tapes? Are you stuck in the eighties?" It's the only thing I can think to say at the moment. Nothing else makes sense. My wife is gone. Taken. And we still don't know why. Or by whom.

If they hurt her, I'll find them and tear them to pieces. I'll make it last weeks. Months. Hell, a full goddamned year.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket. My blood turns to ice at the image on the screen. Wren lies across a bench seat in a van or SUV, her eyes closed.

Unknown: You and your team set off a bomb in Herat, Afghanistan and murdered twenty-three innocents. You will die for your crimes. But your wife will not be harmed as long as you cooperate.

Herat? A bomb? The memories come flooding back like a movie in slow motion. The building was burning when we arrived. We pulled nine people out of the rubble before it collapsed. Six kids, two women, and an old man. Got them medical attention. As far as I knew, they all lived.

I reply, though my fingers shake so much, the words don't come easy.

Ryker: That bomb was courtesy of the Afghan government. We saved people that day. Without us, everyone would have died. Drop Wren off at the nearest hospital. Right fucking now.

Unknown: You lie. We will contact you in one hour. Call no one.

My next message—containing some of the more…inventive things I'd like to do to them—comes back undeliverable. They deactivated the SIM card.

"Get that to Rip. He can clone your phone so we can monitor everything that comes in."

I know that. Everything he's saying…it's what I'd say to him if it were Cam. But it's not Cam. It's Wren. And our daughter. So I don't call him an asshole for telling me things I already know. All I care about is getting Wren back. Safe. If West wants to talk to me like I'm five until that happens, so be it.

"You have comms with you?" I ask.

He pulls a small earbud case from his pocket. "I learned a hell of a long time ago to never leave these at home."

"Then go. Get those…'tapes.' I'm counting on you."

West grabs my arm before I can head for my truck. "Ry, this is Wren. No one on this team will rest until she's safe. Every single one of us would die for her."

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